Berkshire Hathaway News

Build-A-Bear, Maker of Warren Buffett’s Squishmallows Face Off in Court

Warren Buffett is taking on Build-A-Bear. Jazwares, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned maker of the popular Squishmallows plush toys, sued Build-A-Bear Workshop on Monday, calling its new Skoosherz plush toy line “knockoffs” that infringed its intellectual property rights. Not to be outdone, …

Berkshire Utility Reaches $299 Million Oregon Fire Accord

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co.’s PacifiCorp said it will pay $299 million to settle claims over wildfires that burned homes in southwest Oregon, averting another jury trial in litigation that has already exposed the utility to billions in damages. The accord, …

Buffett Gave Tribute to Partner and Friend Munger in Latest Annual Report

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway released a brief statement late Tuesday announcing the death of Vice Chair Charlie Munger but the CEO paid tribute to his long-time partner months ago in the company’s most recent annual report. Under the heading, “Nothing …

Berkshire Hathaway Reports $12.8B Loss as Investments Fall; Insurance Performed Well

Warren Buffett`s company has reported a nearly $13 billion loss in the third quarter as the paper value of its investments fell, but the companies it owns – particularly the insurers – generally performed well. Berkshire Hathaway said Saturday that …

Buffett Watchers Tout Japan Insurers, Banks as Next Potential Value Targets

Warren Buffett’s buying of Japanese trading firms helped propel the nation’s stocks to multi-decade highs. Six months on, insurers and banks are emerging as the next potential value targets. Insurers have low price-to-book ratios, strong fundamentals and relatively high returns, …

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Shows Unusual Risk Appetite in Wildfire Court Fight

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co.’s PacifiCorp has been battered in an unprecedented court fight over the utility’s failure to prevent massive wildfire destruction in Oregon. The largest grid operator in the western US faces the risk that it will have to …

Reinsurers Hope Profitability Party Will Last – But All Good Things Must End

Executive summary: Fitch Ratings is projecting reinsurer returns on equity of 14% in 2023 and 2024, results that reflect a reinsurance environment that has effectively returned to the pre-soft market state of providing capital protection rather than earnings protection for …

Warren Buffett’s Bet on Mild Florida Storm Season Faces Test With Hurricane Idalia

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bet big earlier this year that Florida’s reinsurance market would deliver huge premiums with minimal losses. Hurricane Idalia is about to offer a test of that calculus, with months of potential storms left this season. Warren Buffett’s …

Warren Buffett Gives $27M in Berkshire Hathaway Stock to an Unnamed Charity

Investor Warren Buffett has donated Berkshire Hathaway stock worth $27 million to an unnamed charity. Buffett disclosed the gift of 50 Class A shares of Berkshire stock in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Wednesday. This donation …

Berkshire Operating Earnings Jump on Insurance Strength

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. posted gains in operating profit as strength in its insurance businesses helped counter inflationary pressures that have weighed on the sprawling conglomerate in the last year. The firm reported $10.04 billion of operating profit for …